Flight of the Robin
by legomaniac2011
Summary: Carnivals are meant to be fun. This night was different. This night involved gang attacks, tear gas and murder.
1. I - That Night

A young boy sat in shock, tears streaming down his face as he tried to contemplate what had just happened. _I killed them, _he thought, _It was all my fault. _A man and a woman lay covered by a large white sheet in front of him as policemen murmured to each other. The bright lights of the patrol cars on the circus grounds didn't help the boy's situation either, as his mind was clouded with loud sirens and visions of his parents falling just out of his reach. _They're dead because of me, _his mind spoke to him, _They're dead because of you. _The boy got up quickly and snuck out the bottom of the circus tent. He ran as fast as he could into the forest beyond the fair grounds. After stopping to catch his breath, he sniffed and looked back. He could see the faint lights of the police cars beyond the trees and hear their sirens taunting him, ridiculing him. _You weren't quick enough, _they said, _You weren't there when they needed you._ The boy tried to ignore the voices growing louder in his head as he turned ran, but they became louder with every step he took running toward the edge of the forest. Branches and thorns cut him as he ran, but he didn't care. _I need to get out of here, _he thought,_ I need to hide_.

Suddenly, as he broke through the foliage, he was faced with a clearing full of what the boy assumed to be captive escapees from the incident in the circus tent. Curious, the boy crouched behind a nearby boulder and watched intently. Several masked men were keeping watch over their prisoners, but the people seemed in no hurry to comply. One man decided he had enough and proceeded to elbow his captor in the stomach, which resulted in him receiving a broken nose and a fat lip.

_You need to help them,_ the boy's conscience told him. _I can't, _he fought back, _I'm just a circus act, I'll die just like my parents. _As the boy was contemplating his situation, a large shadow swooped down from the cloudy night sky and landed on one of the captors. The other masked men got the message, as they fired their handguns as the shadow weaved in and out of the gunfire. One by one, the men dropped painfully to the ground until only a few decided to do the smart thing and run into the cover of the night. As the shadow darted after them, the boy noticed the outline of a cape. He slowly looked out from behind his hiding spot.

Having seen enough for one night, the boy broke down sobbing as he leaned against the boulder. Shortly after, a policeman discovered him and recognized him from his colourful acrobatic uniform that matched his dead parent's. The policeman escorted the boy back to the circus tent, after radioing for backup to take care of the hostages. The policeman turned towards the boy. "You're the third Flying Grayson, aren't you?" He asked. "Dick Grayson, right?" Dick nodded in affirmation. "Don't worry," the policeman said. "I'll take you down to the station and get you something to eat. You're probably exhausted from tonight." Dick didn't answer as they both reached the tent. Officers came rushing past on their way to the hostages, not giving a second glance to Dick. He didn't care though, as he stared into the flashing red and blue of the police cars, trying to forget about that night.


	2. II - Headquarters

"How is he, Carlos?" the police commissioner asked. Dick sat on a bench in the corner of the bustling police station. Although a blanket was wrapped around his shoulders, he still shivered and stared blankly. "Pretty shaken up to say the least, Jim." replied Sergeant Alvidrez. "He's been through a lot tonight. It's too much for anyone to handle all at once, especially a kid." The two men glanced over at Dick, huddled over in the corner. "Is Baker's taking him in?"Alvidrez questioned. Jim replied, sighing. "I haven't had anyone call them yet. They're not exactly the best place for a kid like him to go to right now. You can't eat a sandwich there before the mold gets to it first. You know how it is, they're only a last resort." The Sergeant heard his name yelled, probably by a disgruntled coworker waiting for his cup of joe. He excused himself to Jim Gordon, who stood motionless for a good minute or two before realizing that he zoned off.

Glancing behind him, he saw Dick staring off at a wall, blankly. Breathing out his nose heavily, Gordon slowly made his way over to him, navigating through the busy, crowded lobby. Jim gently sat down beside Dick, careful not to frighten him. The 13 year old didn't move, and kept staring straight ahead at the beige colored wall across the room. After a long while, Gordon spoke up. "I'm...sorry Dick. If we had known about those men, we could have been there sooner..." Dick interrupted, still staring at the wall. "You didn't know. You were too late to save anyone. Too late to save _them_." Gordon looked over at Dick, knowing he would continue. "I've seen what your police force does to _help_ people in this city. You think I'm ignorant just because I'm young? Because one of yours found me?" Dick leaned his head up against the wall. "I'd rather have been captured by those men than be brought here. At least those guys would have been honest with me about their alliances." The tension was thick between the two as Grayson's face turned pink. "This whole force is corrupt, in fact, there's probably someone listening to our conversation right now and reporting to God-knows-who." Dick sighed. Jim had to agree with him. The police force of Gotham city wasn't exactly the best in the world, but It was all they had right now.

Jim looked slowly stood up and leaned down to face Dick. "Just because there may be a few bad apples, doesn't mean that I'm one of them," Gordon stated. Dick looked up at him. "I'll tell you what," Jim continued, "You'll stay with me 'till we find someone who'll take you in, okay?" Grayson was silent for a moment, and then agreed to go home with the commissioner.


End file.
